NEVER FORGET

BRADENTON BEACH – The weather Sunday was perfect for a ride and between 1,000 and 2,000 motorcyclists did that to commemorate the terrorist attacks 10 years earlier and to celebrate the freedoms that we enjoy in this country.

The ride ended for many at the Bridge Street Bistro's Island Time Bar and Grill, where most enjoyed a $10 all-you-can-eat buffet lunch, except for men and women in the military, law enforcement or fire departments, who ate for free. More...

People to be polled on pines

ANNA MARIA – City commissioners are asking residents of Cedar, Willow and Mangrove avenues for their input regarding removing the Australian pines in Gulf Front Park.

Public Works Director George McKay said since the Sheriff's Office excavated the site looking for clues in the disappearance of Sabine Musil Buehler, it needs attention. In addition to the pines, there are large areas of the invasive sansevieria or mother in law's tongue. More...

Cell tower issue raised again

ANNA MARIA –The city is irresponsible for not having a cell tower, Commissioner Gene Aubry told his fellow city commissioners last week.

"I really don't understand what the delay is," he said. "Put a flagpole on the six lots (the city is purchasing on North Bay Boulevard). It's not any worse than a telephone pole or the power poles that run the wires overhead "Why we can't admit we need this is beyond me. I don't think that you should be in Anna Maria and take a cell phone and call 911 and have call drops. I think it's irresponsible on the part of the city." More...

Dog beach sought on Island

A man's effort to establish a dog beach on Longboat Key has inspired a woman to do the same on Anna Maria Island.

An article in The Sun (Aug. 17) about Nelson Goldner's proposal to allow dogs on Longboat Key's beaches prompted Ruth Uecker to write a letter to the editor requesting people to contact her about establishing contact her about establishing a dog beach on Anna Maria Island. More...

Buchannan draws praise at Holmes Beach town hall

BRADENTON BEACH – The recommendations of the planning and zoning (P&Z) board are just that – recommendations. The city commission made its own decision last week on a triple request by Tortuga Inn and gave it more than the P&Z recommended.

Before the public hearing on the Tortuga Inn Owner's Association's requests for a special exception application for accessory uses, Mayor Bob Bartelt said he had met with commissioners Gay Breuler and Jan Vosburgh to discuss procedural issues. More...

Surfer injured on Labor Day

HOLMES BEACH – A Parrish man was airlifted to Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg Monday when he suffered a possible spinal injury while surfing in the roiling waters of the Gulf.

The unidentified man told emergency officials he had hit his head and neck in the Gulf bottom, according to Manatee County EMS Chief Ron Koper. More...

July resort tax collections up

An increase in resort tax collections this summer is due in part to increased enforcement efforts by the Manatee County Tax Collector's office, according to Tax Collector Ken Burton Jr.

The office is cracking down on owners of short-term rentals, which include hotels, motels, single family homes, trailers and condominiums that are rented for less than six months. Property owners owe a 5 percent resort tax in addition to the 6.5 percent state sales tax on short-term rental income. More...

Mattick unveils grant and fund-raising ideas for six lots

ANNA MARIA – Commissioner Jo Ann Mattick reported to the board last week on grant and fund-raising opportunities for the six lots the city is purchasing on North Bay Boulevard.

"Because this is a time sensitive issue with some of these grants, I would suggest we form a planning group that would consist of myself, Mayor Michael Selby, former Mayor Fran Barford, Public Works Director George McKay and native plant specialist Mike Miller. I'm looking for support from my fellow commissioners," she said. More...

Up in the air

HOLMES BEACH – An urban legend says the Holmes Beach airport was built for drug smugglers in the 1960s, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

"In 1946, dad cleared and leveled land (where the Island Branch Library, Holmes Beach City Hall and Birdie Tebbetts Field are now) and made a landing strip for the airport," Hugh Holmes Sr. recalled. "There was an air school and several of us took lessons under the GI Bill and got our pilot's licenses." More...

Dog days strategy

The name "dog days" comes from the ancient belief that Sirius, also called the Dog Star, in close proximity to the sun, was responsible for hot summer weather. Dog days is a common term among fishermen signifying the long hot days of August and September, when fish can be hard to find and catch. While there's no doubt that late summer days are long and often intensely hot and uncomfortable, they can also yield some surprising results for savvy anglers. By employing a change of strategy and tailoring their efforts to maximize comfort and opportunities, anglers can catch fish in relative comfort. More...

Valuable upgrades for selling your home

Every now and then, usually during the summer doldrums, I like to remind homeowners to take at look at their homes with an eye to making some improvements that can add value. Obviously, this is especially important if you're planning to place your property on the market soon, but valuable improvements become even more important in a real estate market flooded with inventory and nervous buyers. More...

Probability vs. possibility

Investment Corner By Tom Brieter

Financial markets have been very volatile over the last few years. By some statistical measures, the volatility is not so extreme compared to historical levels, but there have been certain short periods of time, like the month of August just passed, that contain movements both up and down that are very extreme. For example, during the week of Aug. 8, the first four trading days of the week for stocks resulted in alternating down and up moves in excess of 4 percent each day. More...

Soccer season kicks off

The Anna Maria Island Community Center's recreational co-ed soccer league officially kicks off its 2011 soccer season this week. Players formed 31 teams last week, which is a new soccer record for the Center, surpassing last year's record of 30 teams. More...

Making ends meet in a hurricane and beyond

Feasting on Fitness By ellen Jaffe Jones

As a former anchor/reporter in Miami and elsewhere, I know that for whatever meteorological reasons, hurricanes threaten Florida more before, during and after Labor Day. As a cooking instructor focused on preparing healthy foods on a budget, besides the incredible health benefits my students often experience, this time of year I hear, "Wow, this is great hurricane food!" More...